This invention relates to a peripheral apparatus for a personal computer arranged adjacent to a casing of the personal computer and electrically connected to the personal computer, and in particular to a peripheral apparatus constructed by packaging therein an electrical unit capable of being installed in the casing of the personal computer.
As well known, various kinds of peripheral apparatuses can be connected with the personal computer.
Recently, a recording medium, a data compressing format, and an error correcting method are developed, respectively. The recording medium is recordable data and has large recording-capacity. The data compressing format has high compression-rate. The error correcting method is capable of accurately correcting error of recorded data. With these development, a storage apparatus for recording/reproducing data to/from such recording medium as a CD-R (Compact Disc-Recordable), a CD-RW (CD-ReWritable), a DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile Disc-Random-Access Memory), or a DVD-RW is beginning to very spread.
Recently, a recording medium, a data compressing format, and an error correcting method have been developed, respectively. The recording medium is capable of recording data and has a large recording capacity. The data compressing format has a high compression rate. And the error correcting method is capable of correcting errors in the recorded data. With these developments, storage apparatuses for recording/reproducing data to/form a recording medium such as a CD-R (Compact Disc-Recordable) a CD-RW (CD-ReWritable), a DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile Disc-Random-Access Memory), or a DVD-RW are becoming very popular.
More concretely, the USB includes not only USB 1.x but also USB 2.x which is upper compatible with the USB 1.x. The USB 2.x can perform a transmission of the data with much higher speed than the USB 1.x. Therefore, the USB 2.x is favorable as the interface for the storage apparatus. Furthermore, as the next generation interface high in transmitting speed, an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 (IEEE 1394 interface) is also developed.
The peripheral apparatus using the next generation such as the USB performs the following merits.
1. The user of the personal computer can use the peripheral apparatus easily without much experience of the use of the personal computer. This is caused by unnecessary of using an enhanced interface board necessary for a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) and of setting of an ID (Dentity) number necessary for the SCSI.
2. It is possible to connecting/disconnecting the peripheral apparatus to the personal computer if the personal computer or an operating system is working (this is called as xe2x80x9chot-pluggingxe2x80x9d). Therefore, the inexperienced user can use the peripheral apparatus easily.
3. The USB makes the personal computer to be sufficient to interface with various kinds of the peripheral apparatus. Therefore, the personal computer can be reduced in size because it is sufficient for the personal computer to have less number or kind of the connector for interfacing.
Because of the merits 1 and 2 and because the personal computer tends to have less number of the storage apparatus caused by the merit 3, a greater number of users of the personal computer tend to use the peripheral apparatus using the next generation interface including the storage apparatus. Because the greater number of users use the peripheral apparatus, the peripheral apparatus is requested to be still easily used. Furthermore, the peripheral apparatus is requested to be designed so as to match a design of the personal computer, taste of the user, or an interior design of a room where the peripheral apparatus is arranged and so as to be refined as so called. For example, the personal computer of a desk-top type/a notebook type designed and manufactured by Apple Computer which is called as xe2x80x9ciMac/iBookxe2x80x9d has the USB and less number of storage means. The personal computer is easily used and has a casing (body) mainly made from resin and colored with a color selected by the user when the user buys the personal computer from various colors provided by a maker. The colors include a translucent or a skeleton color added pigment. The user of such personal computer requests for the peripheral apparatus to be still easily used and to be designed so as to match the design of the personal computer, the taste of the user, or the interior design of the room and so as to be refined.
On the other hand, from the standpoints of manufacture and performance of the peripheral apparatus, it is preferable that the peripheral apparatus is excellent in cost-performance ratio and can be efficiently manufactured in a short time. Furthermore, it is also preferable that the peripheral apparatus is sufficiently provided with measures of electric noise-absorbing and heat-radiation. Still, it is preferable that the peripheral apparatus can prevent the user from mistaking the use of the peripheral apparatus.
Conventionally, the peripheral apparatus, in particular, the storage apparatus is designed so as to use as possible many parts in common with an interior unit installed in the personal computer. As regards a CD-R drive for example, a CD-R drive unit having a disc-tray loading mechanism, a disc rotating mechanism, and optical head carriage drive mechanism as mechanism parts and an electric circuit without the interface and a power supply as electric parts is often designed so as to be used as both of the peripheral apparatus and the interior unit.
The electrical unit used as both of the peripheral apparatus and the interior units as mentioned above generally has a lower chassis made from metal which mounts thereon the mechanism parts and the electric circuit parts (The electrical unit may also have an upper chassis made from metal.). Furthermore, the electrical unit mostly as a front panel made from resin and attached to a front portion of the lower and/or upper chassises. The front panel is provided with a slot for projecting an eject-button therethrough and a hole for inserting and removing the recording medium therethrough and has a main surface worn makeup. The front panel is outwardly exposed from the personal computer or the peripheral apparatus.
The peripheral apparatus generally has the electrical unit mentioned above, the interface portion, the power supply, and a metal casing made from metal and worn makeup for containing the electrical unit, the interface portion, and the power supply therein. A front portion of the metal casing in a depth direction is opened. The front panel is attached to the front portion of the metal casing so as to cover the front portion. Generally, there are concretely three types of attaching the front panel to the peripheral apparatus as follows:
1. A type has a first front panel used for the electrical unit used as both of the peripheral apparatus and the interior unit and a second front panel used for the peripheral apparatus only. The second front panel is provided with a square hole and can expose the first front panel through the square hole so that main surfaces of the first and the second front panels are located on same location as each other.
2. Another type has a third front panel used for both of the peripheral apparatus and the interior unit or for the peripheral apparatus only. The third front panel has a cap shape. When the third panel is directed so that an opening thereof faces rearwardly in the depth direction, the third front panel can contain the front portion of the metal casing and can cover the casing.
3. The other type has the first front panel used for the electrical unit used as both of the peripheral apparatus and the interior unit, a resin casing having lower and upper pieces capable of separating to each other, and a front holder attached to a front portion of the resin casing. The front holder covers the front portion of the resin casing.
For example, the type 3 has lower and upper pieces for covering an electrical unit and a front holder. If the lower and the upper pieces are coupled with each other so as to be offset to each other in the depth direction, this offset is hidden by the front holder. Thus, the type 3 can change a defection article caused by an appearance defection by the offset into a passing article if the offset exerts bad influence upon movement of the electrical unit.
Three types of the peripheral apparatuses mentioned above have matters as the following because of structures at the front portions, respectively.
Because the type 1 has two front panels, the type 1 has many parts and large size. Furthermore, only if the front panels are slightly offset to each other in the depth direction, the peripheral apparatus may conclude as appearance defection.
Although it is sufficient for the type 2 to have the front panels to the number of only one as the peripheral apparatus, the front panel is large in size in the depth direction. When the front panel is used for the interior unit, it is useless for the interior unit that the front panel is large in size. On the other hand, in order to use the front panel for the peripheral apparatus only, it is necessary to individually design and manufacture the front panels for the peripheral apparatus and the interior unit. Therefore, the type 2 is also useless. Furthermore, only if a surface of the front panel and a surface of the metal casing are slightly offset to each other in a width or a height direction, the peripheral apparatus may conclude as appearance defection. Particularly, because the metal casing is made from sheet metal which is thin and therefore bendable, it is difficult to reduce the offset. In addition, in order to prevent the metal casing from being offset, it is necessary to previously from many ribs on an inside of the front panel and to previously form a front edge portion of the metal casing into a stepwise shape. Namely, the type 2 is complex in structure and difficult in manufacturing and assembling.
Furthermore, both of the types 1 and 2 on the premise to use the metal casing. Herein, the metal casing occupies the major part of the peripheral apparatus without the electrical unit and is therefore still conspicuous regarding as appearance for the user of the peripheral apparatus. When it is took into consideration that the peripheral apparatus is requested to be designed so as to match a design of the personal computer, taste of the user, or an interior design of a room where the peripheral apparatus is arranged and so as to be refined as mentioned above, it is necessary for a manufacturer of the peripheral apparatus to prepare various shape and colors of the metal casing.
However, it is the actual circumstances that the metal casing is lacking in flexibility of forming into various shapes.
In order to settle this matter, it is proposed to also make the casing of the peripheral apparatus from resin as the casing of the personal computer mentioned above. Furthermore, it is requested to change metal parts into resin parts in the peripheral apparatus as more as possible in order to reduce a cost for manufacturing the peripheral apparatus.
In addition, the user often loses interest in the appearance of the peripheral apparatus and demands the change the peripheral apparatus into new one after using the peripheral apparatus for a period of time. However, it is difficult in finance for the user to buy a new peripheral apparatus according to the appearance only.
The peripheral apparatus tends to be badly affected by electromagnetic noise coming inwardly from outside of the peripheral apparatus as like as the other electric apparatus while the peripheral apparatus rarely emit bad radiant noise. Therefore, it is necessary for the peripheral apparatus to provide shield plate means against the noises coming inwardly and outwardly. If the peripheral apparatus has comprised the upper chassis as mentioned above serving as the shield plate means, the upper chassis may be insufficient in shielding efficiency. Herein, if the peripheral apparatus is covered with the metal, the shielding efficiency is sufficient. In contrast, if the peripheral apparatus is covered with the resin casing, the shielding efficiency is insufficient. Furthermore, the peripheral apparatus (the storage apparatus) for recording data to the CD-R, the CD-RW, or the DVD-RAM emits laser beam still more power than the peripheral apparatus for reproducing data from the CD-ROM. Therefore, the peripheral apparatus for the CD-R, the CD-RW, or the DVD-RAM exhausts heat more than the other peripheral apparatus. For such peripheral apparatus, it is necessary to radiate heat sufficiently.
Because the type 3 has the front holder in addition to the front panel, the type 3 has many parts and large size. Furthermore, the type 3 is many in the step number of manufacturing and assembling.
Often, the peripheral apparatus as the storage apparatus must be installed so as to be substantially level with the ground in the width and the depth directions (this is called as level installation). This is caused by the following reason. Generally, the medium such as the CD-R or the CD-RW is not packaged with a package differently from most of the DVD-RAM and the DVD-RW or an MO (a Magneto Optical disc). Therefore, if the peripheral apparatus is not installed so as to be substantially level with the ground in the width and the depth directions, the medium may drop unless the medium is contained in the package or a disk table of the peripheral apparatus is provided with holding means for the medium. However, because the peripheral apparatus for the CD-R or the CD-RW is relatively small in size, the user rarely installs the peripheral apparatus by mistake so that the peripheral apparatus is vertical to the ground in the width or the depth direction (this is called as vertical installation). Conventionally, in order to prevent the vertical installation, an instruction is described on an explanation (guidebook) for the peripheral apparatus or an outer surface of the peripheral. The instruction can inform the user that the peripheral apparatus is useless when the peripheral apparatus is installed in vertical and therefore the peripheral apparatus must be installed in level. However, a settlement by the instruction is passive and therefore cannot achieve the end. Namely, the user may not notice the instruction. Therefore, more active settlement so that the user can notice is requested.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a peripheral apparatus for a personal computer capable of responding to various demands in regard to appearance and of being manufactured in low cost and excellent efficiency.
It is another object of this invention to provide a peripheral apparatus capable of preventing the user from using by mistake.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a peripheral apparatus capable of radiating heat sufficiently outwardly.
It is another object of this invention to provide a peripheral apparatus capable of easily changing appearance thereof according to demands by the user.
The other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become clear as the following description proceeds.
A peripheral apparatus to which this invention is applicable is arranged in adjacent to a casing of a personal computer with being electrical connection with the personal computer and used for the personal computer, the peripheral apparatus being assembled by packaging therein an electrical unit having a front panel attached to a front portion thereof in a depth direction, the electrical unit being capable of being installed in the casing of the personal computer with exposing the front panel outwardly. The peripheral apparatus comprises lower and upper resin casings made from resin by an injection molding and engaged to each other so as to upwardly and downwardly cover the electrical unit. The lower resin casing is provided with a primary dent portion/a primary projecting portion formed at a primary location in the depth direction of the peripheral apparatus. The primary dent portion/the primary projecting portion dents/projects into/from a primary parting-line of the lower resin casing for the injection molding. The upper resin casing is provided with a secondary projecting portion/a secondary dent portion formed at a secondary location corresponding to the primary location. The secondary projecting portion/the secondary dent portion projects/dents from/into a secondary parting-line of the upper resin casing for the injection molding. The lower and the upper resin casings are held by each other so as to match with each other in the depth direction by engaging the primary dent portion/the primary projecting portion and the secondary projecting portion/the secondary dent portion.
According to an aspect of this invention, a peripheral apparatus is arranged in adjacent to a casing of a personal computer with being electrical connection with the personal computer and used for the personal computer. The peripheral apparatus is assembled by packaging therein an electrical unit capable of being installed in the casing of the personal computer. The peripheral apparatus comprises lower and upper resin casings made from resin by an injection molding and engaged to each other so as to upwardly and downwardly cover the electrical unit and a resin holder made from resin by the injection molding and attached to a side surface of the lower and the upper resin casings in a width direction of the peripheral apparatus for holding the lower and the upper resin casings so that the lower and the upper resin casings are held by each other. The resin holder is provided with a foot portion projecting downwardly from the lower resin casing when the resin holder is attached to the side surface of the lower and the upper resin casings engaged to each other, the resin holder therefore serving as a leg for installing the peripheral apparatus.
According to another aspect of this invention, a peripheral apparatus is arranged in adjacent to a casing of a personal computer so as to be substantially level with the ground in width and depth directions of the peripheral apparatus with being electrical connection with the personal computer and used for the persona computer. The peripheral apparatus is assembled by packaging therein an electrical unit capable of being installed in the casing of the personal computer. The peripheral apparatus comprises lower and upper resin casings made from resin by an injection molding and engaged to each other so as to upwardly and downwardly cover the electrical unit and a resin holder made from resin by the injection molding and attached to a side surface of the lower and the upper resin casings in a width direction of the peripheral apparatus for holding the lower and the upper resin casings so that the lower and the upper resin casings are held by each other. When the resin holder is attached to the side surface of the lower and the upper resin casings engaged to each other, an outward surface in the width direction of the resin holder is inclined at no smaller than a predetermined angle to a height direction of the peripheral apparatus.
According to the other aspect of this invention, a peripheral apparatus is arranged in adjacent to a casing of a personal computer with being electrical connection with the personal computer and used for the personal computer. The peripheral apparatus is assembled by packaging therein an electrical unit capable of being installed in the casing of the personal computer and having a part exhausting heat and a chassis. The chassis is electrically and thermally connected to the ground of an electric circuit of the electric unit. The peripheral apparatus comprises lower and upper resin casings made from resin by an injection molding and a shield plate made from metal. The lower and the upper resin casings are held by each other so as to upwardly and downwardly cover the electrical unit. The shield plate is installed between the electrical unit and the lower and the upper resin casings engaged to each other and being electrically and thermally connected to the chassis.